Judge's murder trial instructions will not be reviewed by court

A judge's instructions during the trial of a teenager who stabbed a nine-year-old girl to death will not be referred to the Court of Appeal.

Aria Thorpe died from a stab wound to her heart at her home in Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset on 15 December 2025.

A 16-year-old, who cannot be named due to his age, was cleared of her murder and manslaughter at Bristol Crown Court in June.

The Court of Appeal could have been asked to review whether there had been an error of law which, if so, would be clarified to prevent the case influencing future decisions in similar trials. But the Attorney General said the case did not meet the threshold for referral.

During his trial, the teenage defendant - who was 15 at the time of Aria's death - told jurors he and Aria had been playfighting when an accident happened.

He said he had intended to "make Aria flinch" when he gestured a knife towards her, but she instead moved closer and the knife he was holding plunged into her chest.

Speaking after her death, Aria was described by her family as a "happy-go-lucky girl" who was "full of light and joy".

Decisions to prosecute, convict and sentence are made independently of government by the Crown Prosecution Service, juries and judges respectively.

But the Attorney General has the power to refer a case to the Court of Appeal on a point of law which has arisen in the case following an acquittal in the crown court.

A request for such a referral - made by Reform MP Suella Braverman on behalf of members of Aria's family - was centred on directions the judge gave to the jury.

The letter written to Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP raised concerns that the judge had declined to include recklessness as a basis on which the jury could convict for manslaughter.

Instead, it said jurors were told they could only convict for manslaughter if they were sure the defendant intended to kill or cause really serious harm.

Reeves said she appreciated her decision would be "deeply disappointing for Aria's family".

"After careful consideration, I have concluded that this case does not raise a point of law that is unclear or otherwise in need of further clarification to prevent a similar jury misdirection in future cases.

"The grounds for referral to the Court of Appeal were not met in this case," she said.

Reeves added that her role was "limited to making references on a point of law, meaning even if this request had met the grounds for referral, this could not overturn the acquittal".

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